Captain Fenna's Dirigible Valentine by Heather Hiestand

Author:Heather Hiestand
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, steampunk, historical romance, clean romance, alternate history, historical fantasy, steampunk romance, steampunk adventure
Publisher: Heather Hiestand

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CHAPTER FOUR

Terrwyn turned, a sick feeling of helplessness blooming in her chest. The last time she’d felt like this was the day before her sister and Captain Andrew had rescued her from Newgate. She’d sworn to never experience this sensation again. Would she never escape that hellhole?

They had moved fast. How was it that Rand had seen them? The pram must have been slowing them down too much. Should she pick up Noelle and abandon it?

In a split-second decision, she opened her reticule and pulled out her heater instead.

“Take Noelle to the station,” she ordered Ian. “Board any train you can, then make your way back home. If I don’t return, give her to Cari Fenna to raise.”

“Don’t let them take you,” Ian said.

“I’ll die free.”

His voice lowered, that clear blue gaze she rarely saw directly staring into her eyes. “That’s not what I meant.”

“Go,” she ordered. “Keep my child safe.”

“What about you? You need to be safe too.”

“I can take care of myself. Noelle can’t. Will you take her for me? Please?”

His fierce expression softened at her womanish begging, but at least he listened. He took a step toward the station, cursing under his breath, as she turned away.

She walked in the direction of the seaside, not allowing herself to glance back as the pram wheels rattled away. Would she ever see her daughter again? She couldn’t think about that now, needed to consider battle tactics. Her father’s long-lost human voice came into her mind, ordering, “Separate. Isolate. Destroy.”

Rand came into view on the other side of the church, his tall, cadaverously thin body covered in the finest summer wool suit. He looked prosperous, respectable. Alone.

Her lips twitched in satisfaction. This would be easy.

She held her heater at her side, the silver handle camouflaged against her similarly-colored skirt. When Rand was in range, she narrowed her eyes, judging her target. Without thinking twice, she fired.

His fingers spasmed and he staggered back, but didn’t fall. The ray should have killed him. Had she misjudged her range? She swore, fired again, at his neck this time, but he spun and the ray missed him.

One of the church doors opened and people came pouring down the stone steps. In moments, families were exiting the gate onto the street in between her and Rand. She couldn’t fire again, not into the crowd, so she took off at a fast walk, hoping to hide among the churchgoers.

Trotting alongside a family, she hid her heater in the folds of her skirt, wishing she had a holster. When she felt a hand on her elbow, she spun around, the heater out in a flash.

Rand sneered and held up his hands, uninjured. Why wasn’t he wounded?

“You’ll be surprised to know I don’t want you.” His fleshy lips pursed.

Admittedly, she was surprised at that. If only she could fire on him here, but the ray could go through him and kill someone else. She was a free trader, not an outlaw murderess.

She whirled away from him, heading back toward the church now, entwining herself in the crowd.

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